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| Add your content here About the Young Marines
Who we are
The Young Marines is a youth education and service program for boys and girls, ages 8 through completion of high school. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on character building, leadership, and promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. The Young Marines is the focal point for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Youth Drug Demand Reduction efforts.
The Young Marines is NOT a "Scared Straight" program and should not be treated as such, though it may help with minor behavioral issues. The youth in this program should want to come and should not be forced into doing so.
Membership
The Young Marines is open to all youth ages 8 through completion of high school. The only membership requirement is that the youth must be in good standing at school. Since the Young Marines’ humble beginnings, in 1958, with one unit and a handful of boys, the organization has grown to over 240 units with 10,000 youth and 3,000 adult volunteers in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and, Germany, Japan and affiliates in a host of other countries.
Mission The mission of the Young Marines is to positively impact America’s future by providing quality youth development programs for boys and girls that nurtures and develops its members into responsible citizens who enjoy and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. 
Our Volunteers
Young Marine units are community-based programs lead by dedicated adult volunteers. Many of these volunteers are former, retired, active duty, or reserve Marines who believe passionately that the values they learned as Marines had a positive affect on them. It is through these caring adults that Young Marines learn the inner values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. Adult volunteers are individually screened by the National Headquarters based on background information and recommendations provided with each person's registration.
Training
Upon joining a local Young Marine unit, youth undergo a 26-hour orientation program, generally spread out over several weekly meetings. This orientation program is affectionately called "Boot Camp." The youth learn general subjects such as history, customs and courtesies, close order drill, physical fitness, and military rank structure. After graduating from Young Marine "Boot Camp", the youth have the opportunity to learn more new skills, earn rank, wear the Young Marine uniform and work toward ribbon awards. Young Marines earn ribbons for achievement in areas such as leadership, community service, swimming, academic excellence, first aid and drug resistance education.
 National Programs
During the summer months, Young Marines have the opportunity to attend the Young Marines National Summer Programs of: Adventures, Challenges, Encampments, and Schools (SPACES). Schools consist of leadership courses. Adventures, have a historical emphasis and are designed with the younger child in mind. In contrast, older Young Marines can participate in Challenges. Challenges consist of training in areas such as survival skills, wilderness training, and water-based activities. Young Marine Encampments provide the opportunity for Young Marines of all ages to gather together and train as a large unit of up to 700 youth at a time. Over 3,000 Young Marines participate in the SPACES programs each year.
Awards
The Young Marines is the proud two-time recipient of the Department of Defense’s Fulcrum Shield Award for Excellence in Youth Anti-Drug Programs. The award recognizes military-affiliated youth organizations around the world that have made concerted efforts at spreading the anti-drug messages throughout their communities. The first award was presented to the Young Marines National Headquarters and the second to the Bakersfield Young Marine unit in California.
Young Marines Veterans Appreciation Week
For one week in November each year, Young Marine units across the country celebrate Young Marines Veterans Appreciation Week (YMVAW). The purpose of the campaign is to challenge our Young Marines to dedicate some of their time to help our nation’s veterans and to demonstrate, through their actions, their sincere appreciation for our veterans’ service to our country. Unit projects include sending thank you cards to hospitalized veterans, cleaning up a disabled veterans yard, visiting veterans in the hospital, or simply setting up a community function to socialize with local veterans. 
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| Guiding Principles
The health, welfare and safety of the Young Marines are paramount.
We value our volunteers and will provide them with the tools they need to succeed.
We will never forget that this program is for our youth.
We will uphold the Marine Corps’ core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment as well as, the Young Marine’s core values of Discipline, Leadership and Teamwork.
We pledge to the parents to serve as positive role models to their children.
We get by giving. | | Objectives
Promote the physical, moral, and mental development of its members.
Advocate a healthy, drug-free lifestyle through continual drug prevention education
Instill in its members the ideals of honesty, fairness, courage, respect, loyalty, dependability, attention to duty, love of God, and fidelity to our country and its institutions.
Stimulate an interest in and respect for academic achievement and the history and traditions of the United States of America.
Promote physical fitness through the conduct of physical activities, including participation in athletic events and close order drill. |
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